Tribeca 2018: Maine Review

This will be the first of several reviews from this year’s Tribeca film Festival. To follow our coverage, click here.

Synopsis: There is perhaps no better place to discover one’s true self than out in nature, devoid of cell phones, streaming video, and all other technological vices. For the married Bluebird, hiking the Appalachian Trail sans husband offers her the chance to do just that. At first, she thinks it’s no big deal to pair up with a hiking companion, the younger Lake, who she meets on the trail. But as they get to know each other, their easygoing chemistry and unspoken mutual attraction eventually culminate with a kiss. And that’s when everything changes. What began as an innocent bond grows into an unexpected romance that forces Bluebird and Lake to straddle the fine line between their emotional unavailability and undeniable desire. (Tribeca)

Starring: Laia Costa and Thomas Mann

Writer: Matthew Brown

Director: Matthew Brown

Rating: n/a

Running Time: 85mins

Trailer: n/a

Films with only features two characters (for the most part) are risky in that they either succeed or fail, obviously, on the likability of said characters. In that respect, the film succeeds but it will definitely leave some wanting a little more. The two aforementioned characters here are Bluebird (Costa) and Lake (Mann), a pair of hikers hiking the Appalachian Trail. Starting off as strangers, their relationship became more over time.

There was plenty of beautiful imagery here and Bluebird and Lake were somewhat compelling to watch because of Costa and Mann’s chemistry. However, what they had in chemistry, they lacked in character development. Neither Bluebird nor Lake had much of a backstory which made it difficult to invest in them on a deeper level. This made it a chore to watch after a while as it was unclear where it was all leading to until the story eventually lost its way by the end.

Overall, this was a decent adventure film that was somewhat compelling to watch thanks to the performances and chemistry of Laia Costa and Thomas Mann. At least with a short running time, it doesn’t try to do too much and is done before you know it.

Score: 6.5/10

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.